It is hypothesized that in the dialysis population overall: (1) Protein intake is a major determinant of muscle mass while inflammation, oxidative stress and metabolic acidosis play a lesser role; (2) Malnutrition is not an uremic cardiovascular risk factor hence low protein intake does not cause cardiovascular disease; and (3) In the other extreme, high protein intake is also not a major cause of cardiovascular disease since high serum phosphorus associated with high protein intake can usually be controlled by the use of phosphorus binders in routine clinical practice.
The specific aims of this proposal are to examine in a prospective cohort of hemodialysis patients the longitudinal associations of absolute total protein intake (TPI) in grams/day, or dietary protein intake (DPI) normalized to body weight in grams/kilogram/day) with
1. Nutritional status (mid-thigh muscle mass as measured by Magnetic Resonance Imaging ) and functional status (6-min walk) and
2. Arterial stiffness (aortic pulse wave velocity)
Understanding the relationship between protein intake with body composition (muscle mass) and intermediate cardiovascular outcomes (arterial stiffness) in stage 5 CKD patients in hemodialysis is of great scientific and practical significance
